This post is all about why I haven’t gotten Botox yet.
I started seeing the beginnings of wrinkles on my face when I was about 27. I’m now 30 with a few light forehead wrinkles and one that likes to show up right between my eyebrows. My wrinkles are much more pronounced on days where I’ve been super animated (like talking with a lot of people) or on days when I’ve been squinting in the sun.
Many (all?) people in my life that have gotten Botox or some sort of filler did so to combat an insecurity of theirs. They might be trying to get rid of dark circles under their eyes, plump up their lips or an area of their face, prevent their wrinkles from becoming longer or deeper, etc. They’re thankful for Botox and/or filler, and some of them would even tell you that they absolutely love it.
And while I can see myself getting Botox one day, I haven’t yet. And there are a few reasons why that I’m going to share with you in this post. But before I dive in, let me just say… this post is in no way meant to judge those who have gotten something done. This post is just a culmination of my honest, imperfect thoughts re: Botox that have been swirling around in my head for quite some time now.
So let’s get started.
7 Reasons Why I Haven’t Gotten Botox
1. Botox is expensive
It’s hard for me to fathom spending hundreds of dollars on Botox multiple times a year when I have other financial obligations that are important to me right now.
According to this article by Cosmopolitan, “getting Botox in your forehead will cost $250 on the low end and up to $600+ on the high end.”
I think I’d feel a little guilty spending money like that when I have a few major purchases that are on the horizon. For example, in the next few years I imagine I’ll be spending money on things like a new car (I currently drive a 2006 Toyota and who knows how much longer it’ll last), a wedding (?), children (?), and/or a house (?).
That’s a lot of big purchases in the pipeline, and adding Botox charges into the mix just isn’t something I can balance right now.
2. The upkeep seems overwhelming
Truth be told, I’ve stopped getting my nails done because I can’t stand going there for a few hours every two weeks haha. Hate is a strong word, but I reallllly don’t like spending my time that way on a consistent basis (not sure if I’m terribly bored or if I’d rather just be doing something else).
Point is, I’d rather stop having my nails done altogether than have to go every few weeks to have them done. Same goes for hair appointments… I dreaddddddddd that process.
Simply, I don’t want to start something that requires me to show up every few months. Attending appointments is hard for me which is why this is just another deterrent to me getting Botox at this point in my life.
3. My wrinkles don’t bother me
This is probably the biggest reason why I haven’t just gone to get something done: I don’t dislike my wrinkles enough to do something about them. I also don’t care enough to get “preventative” Botox. You probs couldn’t pay me to do this (see #2 for my reasons why haha).
Sure, on the days where my wrinkles seem deeper and more prominent than usual I’m slightly bummed, but for the most part, there isn’t anything on my face right now that I absolutely want to get rid of.
And I know this is a blessing. I also know I may not feel this way forever.
I think if something on my face really bothered me or I wanted a change, I would’ve gotten Botox or filler by now.
4. The injection process makes me nervous
I’m sure Botox is one of those things where you do it once and you realize that it’s no big deal, but the process kind of freaks me out.
Some people say it hurts, some people say it’s nothing to be worried about. But I’m the kind of person who has a pretty low pain tolerance (like, getting my eyebrows threaded makes me tear up like you wouldn’t believe lol) so I just have this feeling that Botox wouldn’t be a pleasant experience either.
5. I don’t want to give in to ~societal ideals~
It bothers me that we as women often feel so much pressure to fight something so natural like aging because society constantly tells us that it should be avoided.
It bothers me that youth is put on a pedestal, especially when the opportunity to age is TRULY a gift. And especially when I am so much more amazing now that I’m older LOL.
But really… I’ll be damned if the reason I go get Botox is because I’m trying to keep up with society’s definition of a “beautiful woman”.
I know this pressure is hard to avoid. Maybe impossible, I don’t know. But I just know that if the day does come where I decide to get Botox, that the reason won’t be because of societal pressure if I can help it.
6. I kind of want to see what happens if I never get Botox
If I just let myself age naturally, what’s the worst that can happen? I mean…my boyfriend’s probably going to do that for god sake lol.
Will I really look that much older than my peers who have been getting Botox since their 20s and 30s?
I wish there was some sort of AI tool that could tell me what I’ll look like in 30 years’ time if I start getting Botox now versus what I’ll look like if I age naturally. That would be kind of cool right? But even AI can’t REALLY predict the future of our faces… (right? lol) so who the hell knows if Botox is really helping or hurting?
What if aging naturally is what’s best for me?
Plus, I just like the idea of being my “natural” self. So many thoughts…
7. Aging is a personal experience for many reasons
A few months ago, someone I care about deeply passed away at the age of 29.
Because she is no longer here, she will never get to age or have wrinkles. And so, when I focus so much on my outside appearance, I just feel like I am really missing the point. It feels vain and surface-level to focus on something like a line on my face when my friend is no longer here at all.
I’m simply just trying to keep things in perspective. I’m not saying it is easy, especially since I learned growing up that being beautiful is very valuable and soOOooO important (a belief that I am actively trying to relieve myself of).
One day I may decide to get Botox. But as of today, it’s not on the agenda. I’ll be curious to see how I go forth in my aging journey, and I’ll be eager to look back on this post in the event that my thoughts, plans, or opinions change.
Ultimately, I feel that getting Botox or not getting Botox is a very personal experience, and no one should ever be judged for how they look on the outside or what they choose (or don’t choose) to do about it.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about Botox in the comments below.
Imperfectly,
Taylor
